Marcus Garvey, who would eventually emerge as a larger than life motivating figure to millions of persons of African descent, was born on this day, August 17 in 1887. He was born in the rural Jamaican town of St. Ann's Bay and visitors to our nation can make a visit to the house where he grew up. That parish wouldn't keep him for too long as Garvey travelled the world setting up chapters of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), an organisation whose aim was to help liberate persons of African descent from their situations of racist and colonial oppression. His radical views of supporting the businesses and political growth of black people and other oppressed groups across the globe made him a controversial figure. There is for example a strong sense of separatism in his message due in large part to his inability to envision in the 1920s a world where black people could thrive under the racist governments which existed across the globe. He has also been incorrectly cast as a back to Africa agitator where the reality is that, while he viewed Africa as the natural ancestral home for persons of colour, he was not interested or believed possible a whole scale migration of black people to the continent. He was brought up on bogus charges of mail fraud in the United States and jailed in 1925. In Jamaica he was also jailed in 1929. These things are to be expected when one is fighting with ardour against oppressive regimes. Garvey had an impact not just in Jamaica but in the United States and on the continent of Africa. Here in Jamaica we have honoured him by declaring him a national hero.

As is customary the Liberty Hall, a museum dedicated to the life and work of Marcus Garvey located downtown Kingston, will have a lecture and various activities to mark the day. This year the title is "Garvey as Literary Muse" to be delivered by author Geoffrey Philp.

To learn more about this influential man we can help you plan your visit to National Heroes Park where Garvey is buried and to Liberty Hall. Contact us at info@jaculture.com or call 1 876 540 8570 (whatsapp) for more information.